Keith, have you ever done a piece on Ulysses? If anyone could persuade me to give it another look, it would be you or Scott. I love art that is challenging, but this particular work felt like more of a chore than a pleasure for me when I finally dove into (and then stopped) reading it a few months ago.
Unless my senior thesis counts, no, I’ve never written about Ulysses. Here’s what I’d recommend: read a chapter then go back and read it again looking at annotations. I used to have a book called ULYSSES ANNOTATED (until I loaned it to someone who never returned it). I’m currently revisiting it intermittently using the edition linked to below on my Kindle, which is pretty good. But the thing to keep in mind is it’s ok not to get everything. Joyce is throwing a flood of language at you and the narrative can seem murky. But it’s worth putting in the work. It’s funny with breathtakingly heartbreaking bits. And it’s wise about the divide between youth and adulthood in the way few books are. And I think Joyce was right that, were Dublin ever destroyed, it could be rebuilt from the details he included (or at least the Dublin of 1904).
I might start at chapter 4. It's the first chapter about Leopold Bloom. His chapters are generally more amiable and a little easier to follow. See if it grabs you a little more and you might have a more motivation to go back to the opening chapters about Stephen, maybe with a guide like Keith said.
Hah... so I posted previously about having a hard time with Godard beyond BREATHLESS, in relation to PIERROT LE FOU. Glad this article exists, because there's almost no way I'm going to watch it myself.
There are movies in the top 100 that I've seen, possibly only once and years ago, that I really just don't remember a single thing about outside of maybe a single still shot of a scene in my mind.
This is the one movie that I still have never watched to date (it was vaguely on my to-do list from the past decade due to it being on the 2012 list).
I meant to watch it this year. The DVD is on the shelf staring at me. I just haven't mustered the focus to actually put it on. I feel like after reading this essay, it's going to shift further onto the backburner, unless I do the, "just put it on, let it wash over you at times, feel free to get up and walk around and do other stuff here and there, and come back to the parts you missed earlier," type of first watch. Which, this is sounding like a real candidate for doing that with.
Yeah, SATANTANGO had chapters, so it could be broken up. Though I must say that I’m happy to have a run of more digestible films coming up. HISTOIRE(S) was admittedly rough sledding.
I'm loving these write-ups. I often find myself relating to some of your experiences.
I came to watch Histoire(s) because I give myself movie homework. One of my assignments is to watch the most acclaimed film of each year since 1888 (I’m still 26 movies short). I used the They Shoot Pictures Don’t They website to come up with my list, and this was the most acclaimed movie of 1998 (I decided that its date of completion was its release date).
(I trust the TSPDT lists more than the S&S one, perhaps because it’s annually updated and more thorough and wide-ranging.)
This was my first attempt to watch one of Godard's post-narrative films. I felt there were too many barriers to overcome, but I did like parts of it. Favourite quote: "Art is like fire; it is born from that which it burns.” Favourite moment was a couple chatting with Godard after exiting a movie theatre apparently showing Histoire(s). The woman names New Wave film directors and says, "You knew them". There is a mournfulness to the way Godard answers, "Yes, they were my friends." (The directors she named had all died by the time Godard made this segment of Histoire(s).) I was amused that he asked if they liked it, because I can’t imagine him caring what anyone thinks of his films!
Oh hey, thanks, did not expect that. Now I'm self-conscious about my blurbs (I'm not gifted at writing about film) and about my spotty watching habits lately!
I was an avid reader of The AV Club from the mid-2000s up to when you guys left. I've been "following" you ever since. You've made me discover certain movies (especially via The New Cult Canon), so cheers!
For the record, these are my assignments:
ASSIGNMENT #1: The 100 best films ever made
ASSIGNMENT #2: Top 100 directors (see at least one film by each)
ASSIGNMENT #3: The most acclaimed film of each year
ASSIGNMENT #4: The ten most popular films of all time (based on their worldwide gross, adjusted for inflation)
There is, of course, overlap between these. I used TSPDT to determine the movies for the first three.
Thank you! A terrific essay. Looking forward to more.
Keith, have you ever done a piece on Ulysses? If anyone could persuade me to give it another look, it would be you or Scott. I love art that is challenging, but this particular work felt like more of a chore than a pleasure for me when I finally dove into (and then stopped) reading it a few months ago.
Unless my senior thesis counts, no, I’ve never written about Ulysses. Here’s what I’d recommend: read a chapter then go back and read it again looking at annotations. I used to have a book called ULYSSES ANNOTATED (until I loaned it to someone who never returned it). I’m currently revisiting it intermittently using the edition linked to below on my Kindle, which is pretty good. But the thing to keep in mind is it’s ok not to get everything. Joyce is throwing a flood of language at you and the narrative can seem murky. But it’s worth putting in the work. It’s funny with breathtakingly heartbreaking bits. And it’s wise about the divide between youth and adulthood in the way few books are. And I think Joyce was right that, were Dublin ever destroyed, it could be rebuilt from the details he included (or at least the Dublin of 1904).
I appreciate the response! I’ll give it another go with this in mind.
"(until I loaned it to someone who never returned it)"
Are you saying it's underneath that copy of Lady Snowblood you once lent out?
(I think I'm correctly recalling which movie was lent to one Mr. Tobias years ago)
Shhhhhh.... don't remind him.
I might start at chapter 4. It's the first chapter about Leopold Bloom. His chapters are generally more amiable and a little easier to follow. See if it grabs you a little more and you might have a more motivation to go back to the opening chapters about Stephen, maybe with a guide like Keith said.
Hah... so I posted previously about having a hard time with Godard beyond BREATHLESS, in relation to PIERROT LE FOU. Glad this article exists, because there's almost no way I'm going to watch it myself.
That was all very fascinating, but I'm certain I will never watch this, much as I will never read Finnegan's Wake.
Though after trying and failing at 18 and 28, I finally cracked Ulysses last year at 38.
You’re now Leopold Bloom’s age, if that’s incentive.
And older than Homer Simpson.
Sounds like the kind of thing to put on during a rainy Saturday and let it wash over you. Consider me curious.
There are movies in the top 100 that I've seen, possibly only once and years ago, that I really just don't remember a single thing about outside of maybe a single still shot of a scene in my mind.
This is the one movie that I still have never watched to date (it was vaguely on my to-do list from the past decade due to it being on the 2012 list).
I meant to watch it this year. The DVD is on the shelf staring at me. I just haven't mustered the focus to actually put it on. I feel like after reading this essay, it's going to shift further onto the backburner, unless I do the, "just put it on, let it wash over you at times, feel free to get up and walk around and do other stuff here and there, and come back to the parts you missed earlier," type of first watch. Which, this is sounding like a real candidate for doing that with.
I can't say I enjoyed it much, but what helped me get through it was to watch one part per day. Each part averages 33 minutes.
Yeah, SATANTANGO had chapters, so it could be broken up. Though I must say that I’m happy to have a run of more digestible films coming up. HISTOIRE(S) was admittedly rough sledding.
I'm loving these write-ups. I often find myself relating to some of your experiences.
I came to watch Histoire(s) because I give myself movie homework. One of my assignments is to watch the most acclaimed film of each year since 1888 (I’m still 26 movies short). I used the They Shoot Pictures Don’t They website to come up with my list, and this was the most acclaimed movie of 1998 (I decided that its date of completion was its release date).
(I trust the TSPDT lists more than the S&S one, perhaps because it’s annually updated and more thorough and wide-ranging.)
This was my first attempt to watch one of Godard's post-narrative films. I felt there were too many barriers to overcome, but I did like parts of it. Favourite quote: "Art is like fire; it is born from that which it burns.” Favourite moment was a couple chatting with Godard after exiting a movie theatre apparently showing Histoire(s). The woman names New Wave film directors and says, "You knew them". There is a mournfulness to the way Godard answers, "Yes, they were my friends." (The directors she named had all died by the time Godard made this segment of Histoire(s).) I was amused that he asked if they liked it, because I can’t imagine him caring what anyone thinks of his films!
In case anyone wants a fun assignment: https://letterboxd.com/clauditorium/list/assignment-3-the-most-acclaimed-film-of-each/
I love it. Followed!
Oh hey, thanks, did not expect that. Now I'm self-conscious about my blurbs (I'm not gifted at writing about film) and about my spotty watching habits lately!
I was an avid reader of The AV Club from the mid-2000s up to when you guys left. I've been "following" you ever since. You've made me discover certain movies (especially via The New Cult Canon), so cheers!
For the record, these are my assignments:
ASSIGNMENT #1: The 100 best films ever made
ASSIGNMENT #2: Top 100 directors (see at least one film by each)
ASSIGNMENT #3: The most acclaimed film of each year
ASSIGNMENT #4: The ten most popular films of all time (based on their worldwide gross, adjusted for inflation)
There is, of course, overlap between these. I used TSPDT to determine the movies for the first three.